


Us?

by marreena



Category: The Adventure Zone (Podcast)
Genre: F/F, Gen, Pre-Relationship, Tres Horny Girls AU
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2017-06-12
Updated: 2017-06-12
Packaged: 2018-11-13 11:14:37
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,509
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/11183961
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/marreena/pseuds/marreena
Summary: Even as Lup's hand, that is on fire, mind you, is dangerously close to her face and Julia's heart is threatening to rush through her chest onto the cold practice mat, Julia is still stuck more on the word 'us' than anything.





	Us?

**Author's Note:**

> julup is a good ship and i will personally see to it

“I’m just saying, we gotta work this out at one point or another.”

Julia’s grip slips on her great sword and she whips her head to the girl in the doorway. They’re supposed to be training right now, and while Julia had gotten straight to it, she’s certain that she hasn’t seen Lup and Hecuba lift a single finger that wasn’t to flick a measly illusion spell to make it _look_  like they were doing the work. 

Lup had taken a water break and by some mysterious force had a sweat going— _more_ illusion magic? She hadn’t made a move from the doorway and was simply leaning in it waiting for Julia to catch on, which, she hasn't. 

She cleared her throat and let her training sword rest on the ground, “Of course, we do.” She says and waits, hoping for Lup to fill in more, and that she can just skate by not knowing exactly what is going on.

In fashion, Lup doesn’t do any of the heavy lifting. 

Finally, Julia caves, “What do we gotta work on?” 

Lup rolls her eyes and finally moves to walk into the room. It was just her in the training room, at the moment. Carey had been training with her earlier, but she had needed to go have her equipment repaired after a bad block against Julia splintered the practice dagger she had been working with. Even still the very obviously empty room, Lup casts her eyes around it, checking. 

“Us,” she answers, and maybe it was just Julia, but Lup did definitely get into her space, just a bit—not that she _minded_. Julia more than welcomed her—and Hecuba. Personal space just wasn’t an issue for Julia, but she still recognizes when it’s been breeched. 

“Us?” Julia repeats, ignoring the bored look in her eyes as Julia continuously fails to catch onto what the other was weakly trying to imply.

If Julia was being honest, very honest to her heart and considering how close Lup was standing, _us_  sounded a bit personal. _Us_  being something, that if she were to continue her brutal honesty, that she had definitely thought about many times in the past couple months. 

“Mhmm, you following, babe?” Lup’s stray hand moved up to tug at a curl in her hair—something that Julia’s eyes followed. So, yeah, she was kinda following. 

“What is, uh, _us_?” Julia asks, swallowing down whatever that was threatening to choke her—especially the thoughts of Julia hasn’t been apart of an _us_ , in any form of the word, in years. 

Lup blinks, and there is a flash in her eyes as she finally steps back from whatever place she was at and steps to where Julia is, and _grins_. “Jul, don’t tell me you’re thinking something…  _nasty_?” 

Julia snorts, and now she rolls her eyes, “ _No_. Not everyone on this base is thinking about, _that_ ,” she presses even though Lup looks thoroughly unconvinced at the moment. 

“Course, course, just me and only me thinking bout dirty _us_ even though you stared at my tits when I entered the room.” 

Well, Lup does have her there. 

“I’m sorry—are you really here to discuss, um, _us_? Or did I give you a topic better to talk about?” Julia ignores Lup snickering at her—well, she almost ignores her, she can’t help her own lips pulling into a smile. 

“I mean, not a better topic at all. I’d much rather talk about dirty  _us_ , but I’m just here to talk about, hm, practical _us_ ,” she clarifies, and Julia still feels a lose for words. “Work _us_ ,” she clarifies once again and Julia finally feels like for the first time that Lup had entered the room that they were on the same footing. 

However, it was still a steep slope. “Work? Are we not working well together?” which, Julia personally did not think was so. If anything, her and Hecuba seemed to be a weirdly perfect match for her given that they met on Craig’s List. 

Maybe that means there might be some truth in tindr as well. 

“No, babe, hm, _listen_ , I know this is gonna get a bit sensitive and I want you to know if you ever want me to back off a bit, I’ll do it in a heartbeat, but you have a pretty big fear of fire, right?” Lup’s careful with her words, unlike usual. 

It doesn’t help the sudden chill that runs down her spine, and there’s an incomparable panic that settles deep in her. 

Lup did give her an out—if she didn’t want to talk about it, then it would be over until Julia felt that she could talk about it. 

But, it’s been six years already, and even though in most of her dreams she can still feel the wooden beam over her legs and the fire licking every part of her body, she might not have to be over it, but she could try to live with it. She trusts Lup and she wants to be able to show that. 

She nods, and for a brief second she wonders how Lup noticed her fear, but she thinks back to her aversion to Lup during fights, how she gives her almost too much of a wide berth. Definitely too large of a space considering that Julia was suppose to block hits aimed at her. 

She also thinks to her own legs now, that aren’t covered by pants as she’s just in work out shorts and a standard issue Bureau shirt. The scars that cover them underneath her brace and trail up her stomach, and even though it’s been six years and they have healed some, they’re glaring and unmistakable. 

Lup has never stared at them, and for that Julia is thankful for, and she has returned the favor of never staring at the scars on Lup’s own legs and stomach. 

The teasing has left Lup’s body all except for the slight curve to her lips that Julia just might think is a permanent feature and there’s now more of a space in between them. She’s watching Julia intently for any signs that she’s pressing her too far even if Julia denies it. She hums again and shuffles her feet, “I kinda figured, but, ah, I know this isn’t something we can fix in one day, but I want you to know that I would never hurt you.”

“I know you wouldn’t,” and Julia half expects for Lup to protest but she keeps her arms firmly crossed with pursed lips, “I just,” and now she pauses. The words are dead long before they even touch her throat, and she wants to explain or come up with an excuse, but there’s nothing coming to her. “I want to be able to protect you,” she settles on, and it feels better than admitting her fears, to admit what she wants to work towards.

Now, Lup holds up her hand despite the sweet smile that’s now curling her lips, “It’s cool, babe, I got you. There are some things in this world that get to people—I have those things too. I just, hm, the issue is I have to use my magic when we fight. I can’t not use my magic as much as I want to because I hate seeing you cringe away from me.” 

She nods, _of course_ , Julia’s own understanding of magic was rudimentary, but she did understand that when someone did commit to a school of magic, it was hard to switch to another. 

Not to mention it was deeply selfish of her to want Lup to change herself to fit better with Julia. 

Lup smiles at her and there’s definitely something in that smile that sets Julia shifting in her own spot—but not out of discomfort. “Course, we don’t need to do it all in one day.” 

Julia can’t help the smile that creeps up onto her own face. “Course not. We just work until I don’t jump out of my skin every time you throw a fireball.  _Especially_ in an inclosed space, nearly catching the train on fire.” 

She snorts and stomps up to her again, “Oh, _boo_ , at least I killed the crab.”

“Mm, I hate to break it to you but friendly fire negates the kill.”

Her entire body jolts, “When was that a rule?” 

“Lup, I shouldn’t have to tell you _why_ friendly fire is bad,” she teases and Lup is still fuming just a bit but there’s something contagious that flows in between them. Something _good_ —maybe there is something in that _us_ that they have yet to figure out. 

Lup hums again and she raises a hand, the fire dancing between her fingertips, and Julia can’t help the panic that immediately rises in her, that forces her to take a half step back. Lup doesn’t look disappointed with her, but Julia still wonders if she is, and if she’s realizing just how much ground they will have to cover. 

“Time to work on _us_ , Jul.” 

**Author's Note:**

> the truth is they spend the entire training time flirting and hecuba gags as they start to wear more and more revealing work out clothes, like, gals, be pals, would ya


End file.
